Guajolota (), also known as a
torta
Torta is a culinary term that can, depending on the cuisine, refer to cakes, pies, flatbreads, sandwiches, or omelettes.
Usually, it refers to:
* cake or pie in South America, much of Europe, and southern Philippines
* flatbread in Spain
* a t ...
de
tamal
A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamale ...
, is a form of street food commonly found in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
and within the
State of Mexico
The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is ...
. It is essentially a sandwich composed of a
tamal
A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamale ...
placed inside a ''
bolillo
A ''bolillo'' () (in Mexico) or ''pan francés'' (in Central America) (meaning "French bread") is a type of savory bread made in Mexico and Central America. It is a variation of the baguette, but shorter in length and is often baked in a stone ...
'' or a ''
telera'', which is a rounder version of a bolillo.
Vendors are commonly found selling tortas de tamal throughout the day near offices, markets, schools, and especially near churches on Sunday mornings.
Most vendors sell a variety of tamales stuffed with different ingredients, such as red ''
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America
* Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...
'' with chicken, ''
salsa verde
Salsa verde () is a type of spicy, green sauce in Mexican cuisine based on tomatillo and green chili peppers.
The tomatillo-based Mexican ''salsa verde'' dates to the Aztec Empire, as documented by the Spanish physician Francisco Hernández, a ...
'' with pork, cheese and chile
poblano
The poblano (''Capsicum annuum'') is a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called ancho or chile ancho, from the Spanish word ''ancho'' ("wide"). Stuffed fresh and roasted it is popular in '' chiles relle ...
"rajas con queso," or a "tamal de dulce," which is a sweet flavored tamal, to accompany the bolillo.
Guajolotas are frequently bought with a hot drink known as ''
atole
''Atole'' (, from Nahuatl '' ātōlli'' ), also known as ''atolli'' and ''atol de elote'', is a traditional hot corn- and masa-based beverage of Mexican origin. Chocolate ''atole'' is known as ''champurrado'' or ''atole''. It typically accomp ...
'', which comes in a variety of flavors. The order of a guajolota and atole are also known in Mexico City as a "guajolocombo."
The term guajolota is the feminized version of the word guajolote, which originates from the
Nahuatl
Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller ...
word huexolotl or uexolotl,
for
turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
.
There are different types of tamales that can be used to fill a guajolota:
* Green tamale
* Oaxacan tamale
* Sweet tamale
* Tamal de rajas
* Fried tamale
* Mole Tamale
Origin
There are several theories about the origin of the name "guajolota". Some attribute it to the barley and rounded shape similar to the breast of a guajolote (a variety of turkey consumed in Mexico).6 Also, since it is a highly caloric snack (between 800 and 1000 calories4), those who eat it are told that it will "fatten them up like a guajolote".6 Other sources affirm that its name comes from a type of low-quality bread that was used to prepare it, also called "guajolote".
In his book La cultura del antojito. De tacos, tamales y tortas (2013), Mexican historian José N. Iturriaga explains that guajolota was born in the city of Puebla at least two centuries ago,8 and that this original recipe differs slightly from the current guajolota, since it used spleen bread and was filled with a red enchilada (dried red chiles) and shredded pork meat. Over time, the recipe was transferred to the Mexican capital and the ingredients were substituted, while in Puebla the original was kept and eventually lost.
See also
*
List of sandwiches
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
Tamale
A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamale ...
*
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
References
{{sandwhich
Mexican cuisine
Sandwiches